


A baby in Vigils Keep

by Vixilancia



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 20:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13578510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixilancia/pseuds/Vixilancia
Summary: The arrival of Liora Amell. Sorry this is sweeter than cotton candy dipped in maple cyrup





	1. Chapter 1

Dusk broke around the keep as the pack of idiot wardens staggered in. Maker only knew what they'd been doing, but they were covered head to toe in blackness and dried blood. Nathaniel begrudgingly hung his an ancestral bow onto a rack whilst Amell attempted to clean Usaris of blackened bile. Maker it was quite the task, the sword was almost as tall as him. He'd tell them the strange story of how it was crafted for him someday. 

Amell noticed the unusual look in Anders’ eye as he watched Nathaniel remove his griffon adorned armor plates. He made a mental note to check up on them both later. He could've sworn he knew Anders, not just passing him in the circle but something more. He mentally cursed his blackouts.

Then, a new sound broke through the familiar scrubbing of iron and swords colliding with the floor. A baby crying? Amell’s eyes went wide in shock. After that little girl died in Honnleath ever since Remi, he'd never feel the same about children. They were so easy to break and he, he was so strong. He wasn't sure he even new how to be gentle, all the times he'd accident hurt people. All the pain he'd caused without thinking.

Velanna’s words broke through his thought.

“Amell, Amell someone left,” she gestured to the baby in her arms, clearly elven but somehow human, “they left this baby? For, you?”

Everyone snapped their heads to Amell. He couldn't physically have children after all, and everyone seemed completely bewildered. This must have been a mistake on someone's part. Nathaniel put a firm reassuring hand on Amell’s large shoulder.

“There is no way-”

“Read the note Amell”

Amell eyed the note, he recognised the feel of the paper, Denerim made. The shaky handwriting and ink splotches suggested someone had never taken pen to paper before, but he could make out the wording well enough. It read:

Dearest Hero,  
You are quite special, your kindness knows no bound or barrier. I can see your anger just as you can, but your compassion is greater by far. You ran to me, in my time of need, and I will be forever grateful. Ever since that day in the Alienage, I've known this is what I had to do. You gave me food. You gave me all the money you had, but I know I can't take care of this child alone. I would never have enough, no matter how much you tried to help. Every time I see her, even though she is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my short life. All I see is him. I see my cousin and I see that day. I don't want my, your daughter to have that life. It took me quite a while to find you, she was born many months ago, but she is still fragile. I'm so sorry to drop her on your doorstep in this way. I know you will take the best care of her. You have to take care of her, she is yours. You are all she has now, I'm going to seek out the dalish clans.I know they aren't fond of my kind, that's why I couldn't bring myself to put her in danger. I'm so sorry to do this to you but I know. I know you can do this I do. You can give her the best life.  
With sorrow,   
Shianni.

 

It wasn't a mistake. Tears stung at his eyes, how was this even happening? He could barely handle a Mabari never mind a child. He'd gotten two children killed in his lifetime. The look on the girls face as she turned into a demon so far from their shared nature. The look on Remi’s face, even though by all accounts they'd won the fight, as Howe’s guard’s sword went through his back.

He couldn't do this. 

“I can't do this. I am angry. I am unstable. This is not happening.”

His friends all looked at him, faces cast in pure sorrow. 

“I can't take her”, Nathaniel said, “My family name is scum to this place, no matter what work I do here.”

“I can’t take her, Anders said as he took the baby from Velanna, playing with her ears and making cooing noises to try to calm her. “I have no hame to give her.”

She wouldn't stop crying. She hadn't stopped crying since she left her mother's arms. But, there was someone in the group who was already a father. Everyone looked to Oghren, who was passed out in a pile of his own armor. Amell sighed, all the work he'd put in to getting him sober. It was no matter, he'd just have to do it again. Nathaniel threw his hands in the air in disbelief and left the room.

Sigrun piped up from the other side of the room where she was digging through Amell’s storage chest. They all snapped their heads in her direction.

“Leorah? Your senior enchanter, that's a good name.”

Anders sighed, pulling the child closer, “Yes I suppose it is, incompetent woman though. The spelling was abysmal, I'll show you how to write it nicer.”

Amell’s heart was practically pounding out of his chest, if he didn't feel like he could to this he physically , “I did not agree. To any of this.”

Anders held the girl out to him and he cautiously took her. Her crying silenced almost immediately. She smiled up at him, playing with his hair. Everyone looked up in slight shock. Appart from Amell he held her closer, rocking his arms slightly. She really was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen in this world. Red hair obsurdly young for a child that couldn't be older than a year. The tiny, tiny nose bridge looked completely human. Her elven blood was not completely lost however, her ears stuck out just as prominently as Vallena’s. Her eyes large and amber and so full of newfound wonder and love.

He smiled for what felt like the first time in a very long time.

Two days later, Amell wrote a letter. Sat in his quarters alone. Almost alone his new child in a bundle of blankets safe on his bed. it was irrational to do but, he didn't care. It was short. He had a lot of trouble getting his feelings heard without taking his fist to something. 

Morrigan,   
The young pregnant woman from the elven slums. Do you remember her? She left her child on the doorstep of the vigil with a note, saying I'm supposed to take care of her. I don't know what to do. I immediately thought of you, all our talk of children, mine not biological of course. You said you'd call your new son Keiran. Maybe one day when the darkspawn are no more they can meet. Foolish hope I know. The darkspawn will never end. The threat will never end. But my daughter, my beautiful daughter. She is so new yet so old, I don't know how I feel this much so soon. She is my hope and my light. She is, it's almost like she is home. I know you know where we are, I keep my ring on my finger every second. I would never dare remove it. How could I? I know how you feel now. I know I have nowhere to send this letter, I know that. I just needed someone to talk to, someone to know.  
With love, Amell.


	2. Liora Amell

Anders strutted out of the keep, new boots clattering against the stone steps. He was happy to be away from the circle for good, and he really did love these new clothes. Actual pants? It was glorious. 

He spotted Howe from across the yard. He was chiseling wood into intricate ornate patterns, the wood was in the form of a hard wooden crib.

“How many hours have you been out here babe,” He sighed, giving Nate some water.

“I don't know? I've been here since I stormed out of the keep the other night”

He'd been here for that many days? Nights? Without moving? Or stopping? 

“You do know it's been five days right?”

Nathaniel completely blanked him, immovable focus on getting the crib finished. He was right in intent, Amell needed his bed didn't he? He couldn't use it with a baby occupying it. 

Anders grabbed a sheet loose of parchment and wrote something down,   
Nate didn't tear his eyes away from the crib long enough to notice. Anders noticed Nathaniel’s muscular back through his thin material shirt and found himself slightly blushing. 

After prying him a few times, he finally got his attention, “Here,” Anders said, handing him the slip of paper, “a much better spelling.”

“Thankyou,” Nate said, reading it then returning to his work. He was surprisingly very good at this, Anders absently wondered if he'd done it before. 

Nathaniel stopped for another second, turning to face Anders. They shared a single look before Nathaniel leant up, placing a soft kiss onto the others lips and not saying anything, continued his work.

Back inside the safety of walls of the Vigil, Amell walked over to Seneschal Varel. He was not having a good time with this ordeal. ‘A keep is no place for a baby’ he'd said. 

As far as Amell was concerned he could deal with it and help, or leave. 

“You need milk,” he said, clearly annoyed.

“Yes, I need milk probably a lot of it.”

“And you want someone to make food, for this baby.”

Amell was frankly sick of his shit, he put a slightly threatening hand on the others shoulder, “Yes, I saved your life remember, you can do this for me. Right?”

The Seneschal slowly nodded. Amell smiled to himself in triumph. Velanna was playing with Liora with Justice looking over her shoulder. He smiled, she had been a godsend in all of this. She said she had used to look after her little sister, it explained it all. 

He sat next to her and let his head rest on the back of the wall. Maker was he tired. He'd been on his feet for the past, well since Liora came. He didn't mind much. He just wanted the girl safe. Velanna passed the little elven girl to him, she fit almost perfectly against his long torso. 

Somehow, Amell, a man who never slept, managed to fall asleep for the first time in ever so long. His friends looked at him in awe, how far had he come in just a few days. 

When Amell woke up he clutched wildly at his chest, the feeling of Liora’s weight missing, he couldn't help the sense of irrational dread. Until he saw all his friends crowded around the same spot. He stood and sleepily walked over.

And there she was, laid asleep in a wooden crib. He hadn't placed an order for that? He looked around at his friends. Nathaniel stood arms crossed with Anders basically draping from him. Nate looked so tired, his hands covered in small cuts. 

“Nate,” Amell spoke softly, “oh my god.”

“Beautiful isn't it,” Sigrun smiled, “our Mr Handsome has a talent.”

Sigrun giggled as Nathaniel gave her a death stare look and ran over to hug him

The crib was adorned with swirls and griffons, it was large and sturdy. Made to last a very long time. The crib had two words carved into the front, 

Liora Amell.


End file.
